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  • The Era of the Wood Skyscraper Is Arriving Audio icon

    March 08, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

    The Brock Commons Tallwood House in Canada was the tallest building made of wood when it opened in 2017. Now, thanks to government policies, scientific research, and hundreds of examples of proof-of-concept, more developers around the world are looking to construct buildings out of timber. Using timber is cheaper than cement, concrete, and steel and can actually store carbon emissions in its supports instead of releasing the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

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  • Should We Genetically Engineer Carbon-Hungry Trees?

    March 07, 2021 |

    Freethink |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

    As a way to combat climate change, scientists are experimenting with genetically modified trees as a way to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to store in its leaves, roots, and trunk. The startup Living Carbon has genetically modified poplar and pine seeds in the ground and expect them to be ready by the end of the year. Some scientists are worried about how these trees can impact forest ecosystems, but they grow faster than normal trees, allowing them to study and assess the risks quicker.

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  • The Hottest Amenity From Developers? A Power Plant Made of Batteries.

    March 03, 2021 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

    An apartment complex in Utah includes a solar battery in every apartment allowing the resident, power utility, and building developer to save costs for generating electricity. Through a unique partnership, the power systems can provide 12.6 megawatts of power for the building, which translates into residents saving up to 40 percent on the energy bills. This setup might not be easy to scale, but the developer plans to expand the model in other states.

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  • Unbuilding the future: how a young industry is turning yesterday's materials into tomorrow's buildings

    February 27, 2021 |

    Capital Daily |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

    An alternative to demolition - deconstruction - is the disassembly of old houses to reuse wood for new construction. “Old-growth lumber from big old trees” can be reused, diverting tons of material from landfills. The process can divert 95 percent of the material that would typically go to waste and end up in landfills. Some cities, like Portland, have successfully passed ordinances that require the deconstruction of buildings older than a century, making the market more competitive for the industry.

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  • 'Solidarity, not charity': Mutual aid groups are filling gaps in Texas' crisis response

    February 26, 2021 |

    Grist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Texas

    Texas mutual aid groups raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help people with food, housing, and other supplies after natural disasters, which are increasing due to climate change. Organizers go door-to-door and use social media to identify people in need of assistance, particularly people impacted by structural inequalities in low-income communities, communities of color, and people with insecure housing. Donors, most of whom also come from the community, help with cash or goods donations. Recipients aren’t means-tested and the neighbors-helping-neighbors model allows for quick and passionate action.

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  • This seaweed can fight climate change

    February 25, 2021 |

    The Verge |

    Video |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Dover Plains, New York

    Symbrosia, a clean-tech startup in Hawaii, is taking seaweed from the ocean and turning it into a powder that can be used to feed livestock to reduce the amount of methane they produce — a key contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The company worked with an organic farm in Upstate New York to test the product and found that sheep given a high dosage of the supplement had up to 70 percent reduction in methane emission. Creating the powder takes weeks and a lot of steps, but the startup is hopeful the product can become a mass-produced commodity.

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  • It looks like the Batmobile, works on solar energy, and could be the future of cars

    February 25, 2021 |

    The Washington Post |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

    Aptera Motors, a California-based startup, is poised to roll out the first mass-produced solar vehicle this year: for $25,900. The car is a three-wheel, aerodynamic electric vehicle covered in solar cells that can provide energy to drive about 40 miles. The model is not 100 percent efficient with some energy lost in its electrical current conversion and in its drive system, but the creators say it is four times more effect than an average electric vehicle. Still, when the company started taking preorders, they sold out of its first 330 vehicles in 24 hours.

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  • How Vermont's Energy Efficiency Utility Is Helping Businesses Sweat the Small Stuff

    February 23, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Bennington, Vermont

    To make their restaurant more energy efficient and to cut its carbon footprint, The Publyk House utilized the services of Efficiency Vermont, a publicly funded energy efficiency utility. As part of their Deep Energy Retrofit program, the utility helped install insulation, LED lighting, and high-efficiency appliances at the restaurant, allowing them to save 50 percent on energy in two years. Since the start of the program, 10 businesses have been able to cut their energy consumption in half.

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  • Towards a greener construction with fly ash bricks

    February 19, 2021 |

    Climate Tracker |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: India

    Fly ash bricks help reduce construction waste by utilizing the powdery by-product of burning coal. They are a green replacement for red clay bricks, which contribute to 5-15% of India’s emissions. They also utilize waste from coal-based thermal plants, which often gets disposed of by being dumped in water bodies and on roadsides. In comparison to red clay bricks, fly ash bricks are less expensive and the production process doesn’t emit smoke or use the more fertile top soil. Their use has been mandated by some regions and about 150 small fly ash enterprises have emerged.

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  • Flood City: Louisiana prepares to move neighborhood after 50 years of floods

    February 19, 2021 |

    USA Today |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New Roads, Louisiana

    Pecan Acres in Louisiana is known as Flood City since many residents can’t remember a time when their homes weren’t impacted by rising waters. To help these people, the state has started a relocation project to move the neighborhood to higher ground. The new neighborhood, called Audubon Estates, already has 17 households signed up to move in. The government is buying the residents out of their old homes, which has proved a more difficult process than originally thought. Yet, some are ready for the change.

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